A syringe found next to a bench on the southwest corner of Third and Vine streets, Downtown. / The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy

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COLUMBUS — Lawmakers hope to cut back on illness related to the spreading use of heroin with a needle-exchange bill that passed the Ohio House on Wednesday.

Through the bill, local governments would be able to establish needle-exchange programs without having to declare a state of emergency. Lawmakers hope to cut down on needle-sharing by drug users, which can spread disease such as HIV and hepatitis C.

The syringe-exchange bill passed the House 72-23, but not before debate over several Republicans’ opposition to the bill. John Becker, R-Union Township, rose first to oppose the bill, calling it part of the “liberal social agenda” and a “surrender to the drug pushers.”

“The answer is treatment, not enablement,” Becker said. “The message should be ‘shape up, or ship out,’ not ‘if it feels good, do it.’ ”

Needle-exchange programs help connect drug users with people who can help them with the long process of breaking a drug addiction, supporters say. In the meantime, syringe-exchange programs can keep people from getting sicker.

“What we have right now is a heroin epidemic that also, tied to it, is a hepatitis C epidemic,” said Rep. Robert Sprague, R-Findlay. “This will make a dent in ... curbing the hepatitis C part of that epidemic.”